At various points, Trey Hendrickson seemed destined to land on the third team of his NFL career this offseason. Instead, the star pass rusher has finally re-upped with the Bengals.
After a long-lasting contract dispute, Cincinnati is closing in on a new deal with Hendrickson, according to Ian Rapoport. The deal will make Hendrickson one of the highest-paid defenders in the league for 2025, but it will reportedly only be a one-year solution to his contract situation that still makes him a free agent after the season.
Soon after the NFL offseason began, the team granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, but no deal ever materialized. After months of remaining at a stalemate, the Bengals have finally reversed the direction of their pending split with Hendrickson, locking up the dominant defender on a new deal after also settling contract issues with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, plus rookie Shemar Stewart.
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Here's what to know about Hendrickson's new deal to remain a Bengal for 2025.
MORE: Why Trey Hendrickson was holding out from training camp
Trey Hendrickson contract details
- Years: 1
- Amount: $30 million
Hendrickson has been seeking an extension this offseason after back-to-back seasons with over 17 sacks. Originally, Cincinnati showed no interest in giving him that contract, with Hendrickson scheduled to hit free agency after the 2025 season. That led to the trade exploration, which never came to fruition.
Instead, the Bengals reportedly began working in March to retain Hendrickson after completing new deals with Chase and Higgins. It took months of negotiating and Hendrickson holding out from camp, but now, they've finally agreed to a deal with their third star of the 2025 offseason, plus rookie Shemar Stewart.
However, Hendrickson's deal will reportedly be a one-year solution to the contract dispute, rather than a lucrative extension that keeps him in Cincinnati long-term. The contract will make Hendrickson one of the NFL’s highest-paid defenders for 2025, with Adam Schefter reporting that the Bengals agreed to raise Hendrickson's 2025 salary from $16 million to $30 million.
With the reworked deal, Hendrickson will still be a free agent after the 2025 season despite his raise in pay from the Bengals. He is also now expected to play in Week 1 for Cincinnati.
It’s a $14M raise this year for Hendrickson, plus he will be a free agent at the end of the year. He’ll make $30M with the chance to cash in again.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2025
Cincy does what’s necessary to put their team in position to win. And one of the NFL’s longest running soap operas ends. https://t.co/tiY04h3mcw
Hendrickson reportedly began having more in-depth conversations with the Bengals again on Monday, and that resulted in the two sides agreeing to just re-work his current contract instead of a long-term agreement. Originally, Cincinnati offered Hendrickson a three-year, $95 million contract that did not include guaranteed money in the second year, per Dianna Russini, but he'll instead get a pay increase for 2025 with the ability to still cash in next free agency cycle.
A few of the league's top pass rushers have already gotten significant deals this offseason, including Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett. Now, Hendrickson is set to remain a Bengal for at least the 2025 season.
The adjusted contract at $30 million this year makes Hendrickson the sixth-highest paid pass rusher in the NFL for 2025, per Over The Cap.
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Trey Hendrickson age
Hendrickson is 30. He's set to turn 31 midway through the 2025 NFL season, as his birthday is on Dec. 5.
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Trey Hendrickson career earnings
Hendrickson has earned $68,195,219 throughout his NFL career thus far, per Spotrac. The revised contract for 2025 should move that total closer to $98 million.
Prior to his new deal, he most recently signed a one-year, $21 million deal with the Bengals that kept him under contract through the 2025 season.
MORE: The top NFL trade candidates with roster cut deadline approaching
Trey Hendrickson stats
Hendrickson has posted a double-digit sack total in four of his eight NFL seasons. Originally a third-round pick in 2017 out of FAU, he's been one of few Cincinnati defenders to play at an elite level over the past few seasons.
Here's a look at Hendrickson's career numbers:
| Season | Team | Games | Total tackles | Solo tackles | Sacks | Forced fumbles |
| 2017 | Saints | 12 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | Saints | 5 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Saints | 13 | 19 | 11 | 4.5 | 1 |
| 2020 | Saints | 15 | 25 | 22 | 13.5 | 1 |
| 2021 | Bengals | 16 | 34 | 21 | 14 | 3 |
| 2022 | Bengals | 15 | 32 | 22 | 8 | 3 |
| 2023 | Bengals | 17 | 43 | 28 | 17.5 | 3 |
| 2024 | Bengals | 17 | 46 | 33 | 17.5 | 2 |
| Totals: | -- | 110 | 220 | 151 | 77 | 14 |